Response of vegetation and soil properties following natural restoration to different past land uses in China: A meta-analysis

Past land uses play a crucial role in shaping alternative successional pathways for natural restoration. However, our understanding of how various past land uses affect natural restoration remains incomplete, particularly across restoration types. This study conducted a meta-analysis of 2112 experimental datasets from 212 published studies in China to examine the effects of five past land uses (farming, mining, burning, logging, and grazing) on vegetation and soil properties during natural restoration. The analysis also explored the influence of environmental factors and restoration duration on these responses. The results revealed significant differences in vegetation and soil properties depending on the past land use. Among land uses, natural restoration was the least effective after mining (vegetation properties: −164.33 %, soil properties: −153.44 %) and the most effective after logging (vegetation properties: 63.08 %, soil properties: −27.86 %). Furthermore, as natural succession progressed to different restoration types, vegetation and soil properties responded differently to past land uses. For example, when restoration led to grasslands, logging yielded the best outcomes, with vegetation coverage, diversity, soil moisture (SM), and total phosphorus (TP) exceeding reference levels by 39.06 %, 39.25 %, 32.08 %, and 13.70 %, respectively. When restored to shrubland , burning produced better outcomes, with plant diversity, bulk density (BD), pH, and TP exceeding reference levels by 23.16 %, 12.69 %, 2.85 %, and 7.15 %, respectively. For forest restoration, the vegetation and soil properties following farming, burning, and logging were similar to the reference levels, and the evenness index (17.15 %) significantly improved after logging ( p < 0.05). Climate factors, specifically mean annual precipitation and temperature, were secondary only to past land use in influencing vegetation and soil properties during natural restoration. Although most vegetation and soil properties performed better in areas with high temperatures and precipitation, those following mining showed no significant spatial variations. The restoration outcomes were generally favorable for gentle slopes and moderately textured soils. However, when the slope gradient exceeded 25°, plant diversity improved by 18.33 % and 17.57 % after burning and logging, respectively. After burning and logging, vegetation and soil properties can reach or surpass pre-disturbance levels within a few years (< 5 years) and remain stable over the long term (> 30 years). Overall, natural restoration is most suitable for land recovery after logging and burning and is recommended for farming and grazing under favorable hydrothermal conditions and extended durations. However, natural restoration alone is insufficient for land recovery after mining. • Meta-analysis showed the response of vegetation and soil properties after natural restoration to different past land uses. • Responses of vegetation and soil properties across restoration types to past land uses are different. • Natural restoration was the least effective after mining and the most effective after logging. • Climate factors were the second most influential factors in affecting natural restoration.